Lithium-ion batteries are composed of three components—an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte that allows Li ions to flow from the anode to the cathode (discharging), or vice versa (charging). There are many known cathode materials, including, for example, LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNiO2, LiFePO4, Li2FePO4F, Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2, and Li(LiaNixCoyMnz)O2.
Although these cathode materials are well known, syntheses of these cathodes can be costly and time consuming. For example, synthesis of a layered oxide cathode material, such as Li(LiaNixCoyMnz)O2, wherein lithium carbonate is the Li source, requires calcination at greater than 700° C. for 20 to 30 hours in a ceramic saggar in either a box type furnace, a pusher type tunnel kiln, or a roller hearth kiln (RHK). In certain instances, these materials can require double pass calcination with a milling step required between the first and second calcinations to ensure complete reaction of the starting materials and good product homogeneity.
In view of the attendant costs associated with long calcination times for the production of layered oxide cathodes, it would be desirable to develop a process that operated at lower temperature, required less calcination time, or both.